A Hitch in Time
by katamuro11
Summary: A what if with a slightly older Alec and Kiera. Not quite canon early on.


_This is my attempt at clearing the writers block. I wrote several things and this is one of them. Decided to put it up. Alec/Kiera pairing end of season 1. Alec is older as for me it never made sense that he had that kind of setup while living on a farm and knowing so much stuff already. I get it Alec is a genius but it just didn't gel with me. Hope you like it. _

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**Alec**

Alec had wondered many times what her lips would feel like. They looked so incredibly soft, so perfect. Well he didn't have to wonder any more. She had come back to his loft in the barn to get her CMR and suit checked out after the whole thing with hostages, shooting and Roland's death. The explosion had knocked her out and she wasn't taking any chances. He actually was looking forward to some kind of distraction and fiddling about with Kiera's CMR seemed like just the thing to do. Not that he would ever admit that he was actually fiddling with it and that most of the time he was simply using his best self-educated guess.

So she was up there in his loft, sitting in an old wooden chair with her back to him in that cute way with her knees up to her chest, neck exposed and he was holding the dermal connector in place as for some reason it refused to adhere to her skin today like it was supposed to. And one moment he was typing away on the laptop with his hand on the back of her neck and the next she had turned to see what was causing the delay and her face was just so close and he felt her breath on his cheek and he turned towards her and before he could process it himself he kissed her.

Now Alec had to admit himself that his experience with the opposite sex was not in any way great. It was for the lack of a better term limited and if speaking in numbers limited to two. Two attempts at dating in his 21 year old life. Attempt One was back in high school with a girl named Melisa Reznick and like many such things it was mostly hormones rather than any true feelings and fizzled out faster than a cheap sparkler lit from both ends.

Attempt Two was with Haylee Tawn and did get serious enough for the clothing optional part of a relationship but in the end his work won out. He didn't remember the argument that apparently he had with her or her storming out of the house and he only noticed that she wasn't calling him anymore when a week later his mother asked him if he had patched things up with Haylee. That had been two years ago. Since then he had simply not met anyone who held his interest for more than a few passing moments. Until Kiera Cameron.

So the kiss was really just him pressing his lips against hers for a brief moment before he understood what he done and jerked back. Looking at Kiera's shocked expression his mind was racing to find some kind of an explanation but all he could think was that her lips were far softer than he had imagined them to be.

"I, uh...I..." Alec stammered and looked at the laptop in his hands and then at Kiera again

"Alec what was that?" Kiera asked in a mix of confusion and warning.

"I...you..." Alec stammered again and it seems for the first time in his life he was having trouble with coming up with a reply. Possibly because he was trying to ignore that voice in his head screaming 'I love you' over and over again as he looked at Kiera. It wasn't rational that he would develop these feelings towards her, he had known her for only a few months and most of that time he spent helping her on her cases.

"Alec?" Kiera's voice was now more demanding

"I am sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen. I wasn't planning it. It's just you were here and I was there and then you were there too and..." Alec started rambling, he really didn't mean for it to happen and he was hoping that she would see that.

"Alec. Calm down." Kiera says and Alec shuts up and just stares at her and he can't help himself as his eyes stray to her lips. Once she is sure he is listening she continues. "Alec you know that nothing can happen between us. I have a son."

"You are from the future, I am from the past. And you have a son. I get that. And I wasn't hoping for anything. Just a moment of weakness. Let me switch your CMR on. Just business from now on." Alec explained

"Ok Alec." Kiera said and turned around again. Switching her CMR on and then running a diagnostic on it and the suit took another hour. They talked but it was awkward and they carefully avoided any kind of topic that could be seen as overly personal. As he drove her back to the city she dozen in his truck and Alec couldn't help but admire her, her beauty, her strength, her determination. Ripped from the world she knew and thrust into the past, outnumbered she still forged on. He knew the words he said to Kiera had been sincere, he really did not dare hope that this amazing woman would ever return his feelings. He meant every word he had said to her, he just never said that he didn't have feelings for her.

**Kiera**

After saying goodbye to Alec and walking up the two flights of stairs to her motel room Kiera opened the door into her room and stood there for a moment. It hit here there that despite living in this room for weeks she still did not feel comfortable in this place and that oddly enough out there on the farm in Alec's loft surrounded by enough computers and screens to make a CPS dispatch officer jealous she felt like she fit in.

As Kiera stepped into her room and went into the bathroom she faced herself in the mirror. Looking at her reflection she brought her hand to her face and traced her lips with her middle finger. She knew Alec thought she was pretty. He had said so on more than one occasion but until now she had not thought what it actually meant. She had simply ignored what the compliments meant coming from a young man.

Later soaking in the bathtub her mind went back to what happened in the loft again. And this time she wondered why her objection wasn't that she had a husband but that she had a son. Looking back it seemed like a weak objection. Thinking back Alec also said it was a moment of weakness, so he must have had some kind of feelings that he had been holding back. The kiss lasted only a few moments but somehow it felt solid, still felt solid. The pressure of Alec's lips against her, his hand on the back of her neck. Sighing she put the whole thing out of her mind, she had more important things to focus on than whatever it was between her and Alec.

Days later she is in the bathtub again, a tough but ordinary case that she had blitzed through with Carlos had left her in too much fatigue and as she recently found out taking a bath is quite relaxing. She lets her mind wander during this time, just letting her thoughts flow without structure, without control. As seems usual lately her thoughts turn to Alec again. He was a great if slightly snarky help again and she can't help but think that he is actually keeping his word, he has not mentioned or even hinted at anything that wasn't just business. Somehow that does not seem right to Kiera.

"Alec what are you thinking" Kiera whispers to the empty bathroom

"Did you say something Kiera?" Alec replies in her head and she knows that she activated CMR and she hears the sound of the caster wheels rolling as he is turning towards the screen that he dedicates to her feed. She briefly casts her eyes down to her naked body and then looks up at the ceiling.

"Do you ever sleep Alec?" Kiera asks

"I do, just not feeling like sleeping lately." Alec admits and his voice is right there in her head and Kiera is confused. She talks with Alec like this often and yet

"Nightmares?" Kiera prompts him

"No, not really, I still have this job to do and clean up around the farm after the explosion is taking longer as now there is only me and my mom here. Keeps me busy." he replies dismissively and she knows that he does not mentioned all the help he is giving her because he does not want her to feel guilty about it. But she does and she can't help but rely on him.

"Did I interrupt?" he asks as Kiera is deep in thought

"No. Not really. Just been looking through the code in your suit and CMR...hmm that's interesting...that can't be." Alec's voice drifts away and all Kiera hears is the clacking of the keyboard, she doesn't want to interrupt the connection yet so she just relaxes and closes her eyes.

"Shit. No. no.n ." Alec exclaims in horror and Kiera jolts splashing some water over the side.

"Alec? What did you do?" Kiera instantly switches to the protector mode. She doesn't know what happened but it doesn't sound good. She jumps out of the bathtub and starts drying herself not caring if Alec will see her naked.

"Kiera. Can you come to the farm?" he says after a moment of silence his voice resigned

"What is it?" Kiera asks as she heads over to her bed and pulls the suit on without bothering with the underwear.

"I found why you are here Kiera. There were no accidents in that execution chamber. I am sorry." Kiera hears Alec say and something inside her breaks from the words he says as much as how he says them. Guilt and grief. Before she can ask him anything she hears the click and the sounds of his loft disappear. Alec switched off the headset, the headset that he rarely takes off even when he is doing chores on the farm. Kiera rushes down the stairs of her motel and is infinitely grateful when she sees a cab turning a corner. She tries calling him, using her phone not the CMR but it goes unanswered. Kiera replays the conversation and runs the voice stress analysis on Alec's words and it comes back with a dispassionate verdict. Probable crime of passion.


End file.
